Now and Then and Always
by RevanOrdo7567
Summary: <html><head></head>A random scene between Bao Dur and my femExile. Because they just belong together. Please read and review!</html>


_I have always loved the idea of a Bao Dur and femExile pairing. They are perfect for each other. With that in mind I began to write my own full length fic but I got writers block and then decided I didn't like the plot. I am in the process of reworking it. This a random scene I wanted to put in that fic. I don't have much experience writing romance scenes so I'd appreciate any feedback. Ideas for improvement are very welcome. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!_

Dxun was beautiful. Raina had forgotten that, or perhaps never known it. In her nightmares it was a hellish place, dark and stormy, the thunder and lightning indistinguishable from the roar of heavy artillery and the blinding flashes of wrist rockets and grenades. And the rain. Always the rain. Lashing, cold and relentless, it soaked clothes and hair and skin and boots and it never stopped, night after never ending night. Or so it had seemed.

It was not raining on Dxun now. Raina stood on the Ebon Hawk's exit ramp, surveying their landing site. It was a suspiciously clear area, perhaps a hundred meters wide and carpeted with long, pale green grass that danced in the light breeze. The clearing was surrounded by jungle on three sides, a tangle of huge ancient trees, lush ferns and twisting grasping vines.

On the fourth side, directly in front of the Hawk's exit ramp, was a tall waterfall. Its top was obscured by the heavy mist that hung over everything and the thundering water fell in silver sheets, tumbling down over mossy gray green stone, to a roiling pool far below. The pool overflowed into a small river or large creek which was swallowed up by the jungle. On either of the side of the waterfall, nearly obscured by the mist were two trails, leading upward. Raina filed that bit of information away and took a deep breath. The air was heavy with the scent of water, of rich damp earth, of acrid smoke and bitter exhaust.

"Is it like you remember it?" The soft, silky voice startled Raina out of her unexpected admiration and she glanced at the speaker. Bao Dur stood beside her, so close that she could feel the energy of his repulsor arm tickling her hand.

"No it's nothing like it was, is it?" Raina replied. "Maybe it was the raging battle or the storm but it seemed like such a dark angry place." "Looking at it now, it's so peaceful."

"I know." "It doesn't seem right somehow." "Like the war's been forgotten." Bao Dur was looking at the water but Raina didn't think he saw it. He was far away and long ago, on the Dxun they had known. She could almost see reflections of lightning in his golden brown eyes, rivers of blood and lashing rain.

"Bao," She said softly, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. He glanced down at her, returning abruptly to the present. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, sorry General-Raina." He corrected himself when she shook her head. "Old habits, old memories."

"I think we have the same memories." Raina reminded him. "The last time I was here I w_as_ a general."

"And I was just a technician." Bao Dur added.

"You were never just a technician Bao." Raina let her hand fall from his shoulder to catch his black gloved one. The durasteel was hard beneath the leather as he carefully curled his metal fingers around hers. "Not to me." Bao Dur smiled.

"I wasn't trying to be self pitying." He said quietly. "I was just thinking about how different everything was, including our ranks." "Even though you were a General and I was a technician, you noticed me." "All the other officers seemed to look right through me, even when they spoke to me." "You didn't_." "_You saw me."

"You saw me too." "Right from the beginning I felt a connection with you unlike anything I'd experienced before." Raina answered. Bao turned to face her, keeping a gentle grip on her hand.

"So did I." He said softly. "You know, they used to say on Iridonia that lifemates form instant connections when they meet." Raina stared up into Bao Dur's honey golden eyes.

"Lifemates?" She asked, hesitantly eager. "I like that." Bao Dur brought his living hand up to cup her face. She leaned into his warm touch, letting her eyes sip shut.

"So do I." Bao whispered and then his lips were brushing hers, softly but firmly. His hand dropped away from her face and found her waist, his fingertips brushing her hip as he slid his arm around her and drew her close to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and went up on tiptoe to deepen the kiss.

"Raina!" "Where'd you go?" "The droids are fighting again." Atton's voice rang out from somewhere inside the ship. Reluctantly, Raina pulled away from Bao Dur. He let her go, his arms falling away and leaving her suddenly cold. Atton appeared in the doorway a moment later. "Did you hear me?"

"I heard." Raina answered wryly. "The droids?"

"Yeah, I really think the rust bucket might scrap the tin can this time." Atton added. Raina rolled her eyes.

"I have no idea what their problem is." "I think they knew each other back when Revan was travelling on this ship." Maybe they have some kind of long running feud?"

"A droid feud?" Bao Dur raised an amused eyebrow. "I think that means its time for memory wipes."

Raina nodded agreement. "I could probably convince T3 but I think HK would take a blaster to you before he let you get near him with a hydrospanner."

"All the more reason to do it." Bao Dur insisted firmly.

"I think we'll just have to shut them down for now if we can't break it up." "We need to get going if we want to cover any ground before it gets dark." Raina's eyes flicked up to meet Bao Dur's. "Unless you'd rather stay here and work on them?" "It's alright if-a crash and an indignant squeal from inside the ship interrupted her and Atton swore in Huttese and dashed away, leaving Raina and Bao Dur alone again.

"I suppose I'd better go help him and then gear up." "The jungle awaits." Raina took a reluctant step toward the entrance but that was as far as she got before Bao Dur captured her hand.

"I'll go with you." He volunteered. "To the jungle."

"Are you sure?" Raina turned back to him and took his other hand. "I don't think time will have erased all that happened here." "And there's something else out there, something waiting." "I'm not sure but I think it's connected to the past too somehow."

"Whatever's out there, it's something we both need to face if we're ever to put the past behind us." "And I don't know about you, but I'd rather face it together." Bao Dur replied. Raina smiled up at him.

"Together then." She agreed, her blue eyes glowing softly. And as they headed into the Hawk together, a single word echoed in both of their minds, though neither spoke it aloud. Always.


End file.
